Robotics Engineer

EVONA; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Founding equity

Relocation assistance

Job summary

EVONA is a stealth-mode robotics startup seeking a Founding Software Engineer to help build the shared software layer for autonomous machines. You will design core robotics software and integrations, requiring strong C++ skills, ROS/ROS2 experience, and hands-on work with hardware and production robotic systems.

This is an onsite role in Santa Monica. As an early team member, you will own significant architecture decisions, lead multi-robot integration efforts, and help shape the platform from

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional software engineering experience in robotics or autonomous systems.
• Hands-on experience building software for robotics or autonomous systems.
• Experience with ROS/ROS2 is strongly preferred.
• Software that has interacted with physical robots, sensors, hardware, or autonomous platforms.

Responsibilities

• Build core software integrations for new robot and OEM platforms.
• Develop reusable interfaces, drivers, and middleware to connect robotic systems.
• Implement task orchestration software for coordinating heterogeneous robot fleets.
• Design architecture for a scalable, manufacturer-agnostic robotics platform.
• Create simulation and testing loops using real-world inputs and outputs.
• Develop rapid prototypes that evolve into production-grade infrastructure.
• Enable AI-driven development workflows to accelerate engineering and iteration.

Skills

C++

Robotics software

ROS/ROS2

Linux

Real-time systems

Distributed systems

Tools

ROS/ROS2

Gazebo

NVIDIA Omniverse

Isaac Sim

Job description

Onsite, five days per week - open to relocation candidates

$160,000–$180,000 base, flexible for exceptional candidates

Meaningful founding-stage equity as the company evolves - lots of room to earn more

We need approximately 4–5+ years of professional, full-time software engineering experience, including hands-on work with production robotic or autonomous systems. Academic research, internships, and personal projects are valued, but should complement—not replace—professional robotics experience.

The Opportunity

We are partnering with a well-funded, stealth-mode robotics startup building the shared software layer for the next generation of autonomous machines.

Enterprises increasingly rely on robots from multiple manufacturers—but those systems do not naturally communicate or operate together. Every deployment requires custom integrations, significant cost, and months of work.

This team is building the “Rosetta Stone for robotics”: a common integration and orchestration platform that enables different robots, manufacturers, and autonomous systems to operate through one shared layer.

As a Founding Software Engineer, you will help turn that vision into a working platform from the ground up.

What You’ll Be Building

• Core software integrations for new robot and OEM platforms
• Reusable interfaces, drivers, and middleware connecting different robotic systems
• Task-orchestration software for coordinating heterogeneous robot fleets
• Architecture for a scalable, manufacturer-agnostic robotics platform
• Simulation and testing loops using real-world inputs and outputs
• Rapid prototypes that evolve into production-grade infrastructure
• AI-enabled development workflows that accelerate engineering and iteration

What We’re Looking For

• Strong professional C++ software engineering experience
• Hands-on experience building software for robotics or autonomous systems
• Experience with ROS; ROS2 is strongly preferred
• Software that has interacted with physical robots, sensors, hardware, or autonomous platforms
• Experience with robotic integrations, middleware, drivers, or platform software
• Approximately four or more years of relevant professional experience
• Comfort operating in a genuinely early-stage, zero-to-one environment
• Curiosity, grit, and a bias toward building and shipping
• Willingness to work onsite in Santa Monica
• Autonomous mobile robots or AMRs
• Warehouse and logistics robotics
• Drones or UAVs
• Autonomous vehicles
• Humanoid robotics
• Quadrupeds
• Industrial robots or robotic arms
• Medical or agricultural robotics

The specific robot matters less than the software you personally designed, built, integrated, and deployed.

Particularly Valuable Experience

• Integrating robots or hardware from multiple OEMs
• Multi-robot coordination, fleet management, or task orchestration
• C++ development in Linux, real-time, distributed, or performance-sensitive environments
• Isaac Sim, Nvidia Omniverse, Gazebo, or similar simulation platforms
• Event-driven architectures and messaging systems
• Previous early-stage startup or zero-to-one product experience
• Technical leadership and the ability to attract future engineering hires

Why Join?

• Join at true company-building stage zero
• Define the core technical architecture as an early engineering hire
• Work directly with two founders who previously helped build and scale major initiatives at Uber
• Join a company backed by senior Uber leaders, Uber alumni, and specialist technology investors
• Build in robotics and physical AI—one of the most heavily funded areas of technology
• Join a well-capitalized team with approximately 18–24 months of runway
• Receive meaningful equity and direct influence over the product
• Help secure the company’s first major design partners and shape future fundraising
• Build the platform layer intended to connect an entire ecosystem of robots
• They literally have dog robots walking around their office